Environmental issues in Venezuela

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Environmental issues in Venezuela include hazards such as

mudslides, and periodic droughts
, and other issues such as pollution.

Venezuela ranks among the world's most ecologically diverse countries.

soil degradation, and urban and industrial pollution, especially along the Caribbean coast.[1] Current concerns also include irresponsible mining operations that endanger the rain-forest ecosystem and indigenous peoples.[1] Successive governments have attempted to develop environmental regulations. However, only 35 to 40 percent of Venezuela's land is regulated thus far, 29 percent as part of national parks.[1]

Venezuela has ratified 14 international conventions regarding environmental protection and sustainable development, while also taking forward-looking steps internally to protect and preserve the country's natural wealth. Venezuela has

obsolete source] The UN analysis estimates in 2019 that 25% of Venezuelans need some form of humanitarian assistance. Venezuela led the world in murder rates, with 81.4 per 100,000 people killed in 2018, making it the third most violent country in the world.[3]

There was oil production in Venezuela as early as 1878. Water quality deteriorated drastically starting from around 2000 with the beginning of

barite, cadmium, and mercury. Other examples of polluting activities are the dredging of sediments and the testing and laying of pipes.[4]

Water pollution

Zulia-Falcón area

Countless sewage systems with not only human waste but also chemicals pour into the sea all along the coast.[5]

Eastern Venezuela

Several recent

oil spills have led to water pollution. In February 2012 a pipeline of PDVSA ruptured next to the Guarapiche River and fouled it for many days. The technicians in charge refused to close down the pumping because they did not want to stop the process, and this led to massive pollution of the area.[6] A dam providing water to Maturín was said to be polluted, even though the national government denied this. This has led to a rupture between the national government and the Monagas governor.[7]

Valencia Lake and Valencia Basin

The

sewage systems pouring wastewater.[8]

Pollution levels in the whole Carabobo area have increased over the years. After the Carabobo governor denounced tap water as no longer drinkable, Hugo Chávez said that was part of an agenda of fear and what the opposition governor said was "nearly criminal".[9]

The city of Valencia, Los Guayos, Guacara and many other locations get their water supply from the Pao-Cachinche dam to the south of Valencia. At the same time, this dam gets about 80% of the sewage systems from Valencia. The installations for water treatment, the responsibility of the national government centre Hidrocentro, are in disrepair. In 2007 the national government decided to pump water from the Valencia Lake – water unfit for human consumption – to the Pao-Cachinche dam. It installed a pumping plant in Los Guayos to do this.[10]

Air pollution

Effects on crop yield and food production

Forests

Venezuela had a 2018 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 8.78/10, ranking it 19th globally out of 172 countries.[11]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Country Profile: Venezuela" (PDF). Federal Research Division, Library of Congress. March 2005. Retrieved November 5, 2020. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  2. ISBN 978-1-60980-116-8. Archived from the original
    on 18 June 2012. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
  3. ^ "UNODC: Intentional Homicide Victims". United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  4. S2CID 244222252
    .
  5. ^ "Plain-flanked Rail". globally threatened bird forums. Bird life international. 4 September 2013. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  6. ^ "Monagas, Venezuela Oil Spill Fouls Guarapiche River". Huffington Post. 11 February 2012. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  7. ISSN 0099-9660
    . Retrieved 2020-01-27.
  8. ^ Jafé, Espiño, Benítez, Gardinali (1995): Pollution chronology of Lake Valencia, Venezuela. Springer Verlag. New York Inc.
  9. ^ "Chavez advierte a Salas Feo por declaraciones sobre contaminación del agua". El Nacional. Archived from the original on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  10. ^ "Venezuela" (PDF). Universal Periodic Review. UN Report. October 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  11. PMID 33293507
    .

Further reading
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